Sunday, May 13, 2018

(Laveoc, France)- This coming weekend, the Grand Prix Ecole Navale will
be taking place in France for over a dozen one-design fleets across five
race course areas. Included in this regatta is the second act for the
French J/80 Cup season championship as well as the 2018 J/22 European
Championship.

The J/22s will have a dozen teams competing from France, Germany, and
the Netherlands. The French will be well represented by the defending
champion, Patrick Huet’s EUROPEAN HOMES. The leading Dutch crew may be
the TU DELFT BROACH boat skippered by Christiaan Felj. Then, Germany
will have one of its top teams in the hunt, Thomas Loesch’s JOUJOU 3.
Two women’s teams will be vying for top women’s honors, the Netherlands
Annefleur De Zeeuw on DJINN HISTOS and the French Helen Maugard on JM
sailing for SNO Nantes.

With
forty-four boats, the J/80 class is by far the largest fleet in the
event. Teams are participating from all three coasts in France (Med,
Bay of Biscay, North Sea). The winner of the first event, Patrick Bot
on ECOLE NAVALE- CG29, will have his hands full, as more leading crews
will be challenging him for a spot on the podium. Chief amongst those
protagonists will be Simon Moriceau’s ARMEN HABITAT; they will be joined
by Luc Nadal’s GAN’JA, Ludovic Gilet’s NUMERO J, and Sylvain
Pellissier’s INTUITIVE SAILS. Remember, the J/80 Worlds are taking
place in France later this summer, so it’s all “hottin’up” for the local
heroes!

As part of the French J/80 Women’s Cup, there will be ten women’s teams
participating. Also hoping to defend their first position in the first
event will be Elodie Bonafous’ ECOLE NAVALE CDV29. She will be faced by
a formidable cadre of the best women sailors in France, including
Maxime Rousseaux’s CN ST CAST GRAND OUEST ETIQUETTES from CN St CAST,
Helena Lucas’ OMAN SAIL, Stephanie Puyraud’s MODERN BALEINE from Societe
Regate Havre, Laurie Buffiere’s TEAM VENDEE FORMATION from Club
Nautique Pornic, Claire Montecot’s STARTIJENN from YC Crouesty Arzon,
and Anne Phelipon’s NAVIGATLANTIQUE from Societe Regate Rochelaises.
For more GPEN and J/22 Europeans sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.